It's the only thing that makes me full after a workout. I also like a big steak with a glass of red every Friday after a hard week of work. Any help is appreciated. My wife will thank you.

Fri. Nov 16, 10:18am

I guess it would help to know why you are considering giving it up. And what will be more motivating? Learning about the benefits of giving it up and eating other things or learning about what you're actually eating? You can do both at goveg.com. If you just want to do better for your body and still eat red meat occasionally, consider grass fed beef. It has about the same calories and fat as skinless chicken and it's raised without the hormones, the antibiotics, etc.

Striving to be 'full' after a meal seems to be the American way. Can you settle with simply not being hungry after a meal? There are lots of foods that can satisfy hunger, provide that 'comforted, taken care of' feel after a long week, and keep you from feeling hungry soon after.

Friday, November 16, 2007, 10:28 AM

Why would you even want to? You get so much good stuff from animal protein - think about it, there's a reason why protein shakes are fortified with the same enzymes you get in meat. Plus it's packed with minerals like iron and potassium.

Just be smart about the cuts you choose - you're better off with a london broil or skirt steak than rib-eye or filet, pork tenderloin instead of untrimmed chops. Eat a large salad or vegetable soup half an hour before dinner so that 6-8oz of meat will satisfy your appetite instead of your usual 12-16oz.

Friday, November 16, 2007, 11:09 AM

Actually, a filet is one of the leanest cuts available. It is the same "cut" as a pork tenderloin.

Friday, November 16, 2007, 12:51 PM

I'm gonna go with the obvious, but if you stop buying it, you'll stop eating it.

It's hard to give up a comfort food- maybe start by cutting back- if you eat a 12oz steak on friday night, order the 8oz next time. Then try the 6oz. When you're eating, listen to the cues your body is giving you- are you savoring the meat or the ritual?

Good Luck!

Friday, November 16, 2007, 12:51 PM

Get a replacement - huge mexican dinner with rice beans and salsa with avocado would hit the spot.

Saturday, November 17, 2007, 11:10 AM

I could never give up beef altogether (and not just because I'm married to a cattle farmer!). But I do eat it much less frequently now than I used to. I wouldn't worry about the occasional steak, but if you're eating it every night you're getting a lot of saturated fat with your protein.

Saturday, November 17, 2007, 11:45 AM

12:51, I just don't think anyone ever trims all of the fat off it - it is, unfortunately, the reason why that cut is so flavorful. So realistically (and definitely at a restaurant), it's not a lean choice. I faced that "food lie" about a year ago.

Saturday, November 17, 2007, 12:02 PM

12:02-you can tell when a cut you buy is lean by looking at it-you can see the fat running through (it's called striation) the muscle or you see very little. You have a choice. Often restaurants used cuts w/ higher fat content because if they cook it wrong, it's less likely to get tough and sinewy. And the problem w/ restaurant meat isn't so much how much fat is in the cut-it's more how large the portion they give you. You think you are eating a 6 oz steak and you are really eating a 12 oz one! That is where the calories come from.

Saturday, November 17, 2007, 1:47 PM

Read the book "Skinny Bitch". That will help you give up red meat.

Saturday, November 17, 2007, 2:42 PM

OMG! 2:42...that's just what I was going to say before I even opened this thread!

12:40 - I'm not sure what you mean, but it's written by two vegans and they share research and information about a lot of the processed foods and meat we eat. It's kinda gross. It's hard to go back to eating all that stuff when you know what it does to you and what they do to it.